Frozen Heart
by eatonthatcake
Summary: Four is the annoying pest who keeps trying to get close to Tris. She thinks he's wasting his time on her, but he is more persistent than she thinks. Will Four be able to melt Tris' frozen heart? This was adopted from the amazing Raven's Dream! I DON'T OWN DIVERGENT!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Tris

Squeals, shouts, laughter. That's all I've been hearing since I stepped into Uriah and Zeke's home. I'm sitting on the kitchen counter, watching my drunken friends go crazy. Uriah said that this is a New Years party, so I'm surprised that they're already so wild since its only the first party of the year. I have never been in the habit of drinking, and I'm probably the only one at this party who's sober.

I lift up my cup of punch and down the remaining contents. It tastes funny, as if it has been mixed with something alcoholic - which it probably has.

"How's the party?" asks a voice from beside me. I turn to my right to find a boy with dark brown hair making himself comfortable on the kitchen counter.

I raise my eyebrows. "It's fine. And you are?"

The boy's face is masked with fake hurt. "You don't know who I am? I was in some of your classes last year," he says, pouting.

"Do mind telling me your name already?" I ask impatiently.

"Tobias Eaton. You can call me Four."

He sticks out his hand. I take it and shake it twice.

"Why Four?" I can't help but ask.

"I'm not planning to tell you. Yet." He takes a sip of his punch and sets it down on the table.

"Why not?" I ask, turning to face him.

"Don't be so anxious, eager beaver. You'll find out soon." He says smiling. I roll my eyes.

"Your name is Tris, isn't it?" he asks. "Nice name," he says, nodding. He leans forward and looks into my eyes. It's only now that I realise that his eyes are a beautiful shade of blue. "You have nice eyes," he comments. I try hard not to blush.

"So do you," I say. How did that get out of my mouth?

He pulls his head back and sighs, taking another sip from his glass. "Although I don't want to leave such a lovely young lady alone here by herself, I gotta go find my friends. It was nice talking to you." As he walks past me, he looks me in the eye and gives me a slow, deliberate wink. I scoff and roll my eyes, standing up to find my drunken friends.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Tris

I'm walking to school on Monday morning, feeling like a zombie. I didn't get enough sleep last night since some high-pitched cat noise woke me up at 3am. I couldn't go back to sleep after that. Sweet.

I hear fast-paced footsteps behind me and before I can turn around, I feel a tap on my shoulder. On my right is a boy with short brown hair and deep blue eyes. Four.

"Hey, Tris!" He says cheerfully.

"It's you again," I mutter under my breath.

"What was that?" He asks.

"Oh, nothing. Hi Four," I say, faking a smile.

We walk in silence for a few seconds before Four asks,"Is it just me, or are you a little off today?"

"Oh, I'm just tired," I say. Four looks at me with concern.

"Care to tell me why?"

I look at him annoyed, but tell him what happened anyway.

"Wow, that sucks," he says.

"Like I need you to tell me that," I snap.

"Ooh, testy," he says smirking. I barely resist te urge to slap him. He's probably right, though. I might be a bit cranky due to the lack of sleep.

{Frozen Heart}

We walk through the school gates with him talking nonstop. I don't catch what he's saying, I blocked the noise out after sixty seconds of blabbering.

"So your next class is Biology? Mine's History. Seeya later, alligator," he says smirking. I scoff, annoyed. Why does he keep giving me animal nicknames? Just then, the bell rings and Christina comes over. "Come on! We've got to get to class!" she says, linking arms with me and dragging me to Biology.

We sit down just as the the teacher walks in. She turns around to write something on the whiteboard. Christina turns to me with a mischievous glint in her eye. "So what's up with you and Four?" she asks.

"What do you mean, what's up? There's nothing going on between us," I reply incredulously.

"Seriously! I told you he's got the hots for you. Has he asked you out yet?"

"Err, no."

Christina pouts. "The two of you would be so cute together," she sighs dreamily.

"Ms Murray, it's about time you start paying attention," says Mrs Matthews. Christina rolls her eyes as Mrs Matthews turns back to the board.

"He'd better ask you out soon, though. I'm losing patience."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Four

I remember when I first saw Tris in the middle of last year. She was just another girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. I didn't even know her name! But there was one event that made me notice her...

I was walking along the corridor on my way to class, an armful of books in my arms. Suddenly, a blonde blur crashed into me. I stumbled backwards and a couple of books landed on the floor with a thud.

"I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry," said Tris apologetically, fumbling as she picked up my books.

"It's okay," I said. I reached forward as Tris handed me my books. She looked up...

I was met with the most stunning eyes I had ever seen. I must have stared at her for too long, because she blushed slightly and looked away.

"Um... Thanks," I said uncomfortably.

Tris smiled. "No problem."

With that, she walked past me, leaving me staring into space.

It was amazing, that after that short incident I became so intrigued with Tris. I payed more attention to her during class and subsequently found out her name.

So in total, I've liked her for half a year. Yeah, I agree it is a bit chicken of me to start wooing her only after half a year.

I lie on my bed, thinking about the days events. Nothing exciting, just teachers and homework. I think of my conversation with Tris and smile. She's cute when she's annoyed, and her voice is cute, and her eyes...


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Tris

I wake up to my phone buzzing.

_Mornin' Beautiful :) - Four_

I roll my eyes. How did he get my number? I quickly text him back to ask him. He replies within a few seconds.

_Christina gave it to me, beautiful:)_

I roll my eyes again. I get up to check the time. The clock reads 7am. I've woken up 15 minutes earlier than usual.

{Frozen Heart}

I leave the house and walk down the street on my way to school. Just as I'm about to put my earphones in, somebody shouts behind me. "Boo!" I turn around to see Four laughing.

"Four!" I yell, annoyed.

"Sorry, princess. You're just so easy to tease!" he says, still laughing. I scowl and stare at him. Seeing my expression, he laughs harder. I roll my eyes as I keep my earphones in my bag.

" Are you stalking me or what? Why do I always see you on my way to school?" I ask.

"I think I happen to live three houses away from you," Four says and starts to whistle a tune.

I roll my eyes again. "Don't you think I would have noticed you if you live three houses away?"

"Well, you can come over to house number 51 to check it out," he says in a matter-of-fact voice.

I do some simple math mentally. Number 48 to number 51. Three houses away.

We reach school a few minutes later. Four drops me off with Christina and leaves for his class.

{Frozen Heart}

At lunch time, Four falls into step with me and Christina.

"Hey, I was wondering. Would you like to go see a movie with-"

"No," I snap. Christina looks at me appalled.

"Are you sure? It would be great-"

"Yeah, I'm sure," I snap again.

"Okayyyy, fine. You don't have to get so snappy-"

"That's because you're annoying me," I say - or snap? - exasperated.

Four sighs. Before he turns around to walk away, he looks at me. "Don't forget, you can survey house number 51 for your verification anytime," he says with a mischievous wink. "See ya later, beautiful!" With that, he leaves, smiling to himself. I roll my eyes for the hundredth time that day.

As we walk to the lunch line, Christina shakes her head in disapproval. "I can't believe you just did that!"

"Did what?" I ask.

"You snapped at him! And turned him down!"

"So?" I ask.

Christina sighs in a I-don't-know-what-to-do-with-you way. "When a hot guy asks you out, you don't turn him down," she says.

"Whether or not he's hot, I don't care. I don't like him, so I'm not going on a date with him," I state.

Christina sighs again. "You're hopeless," she says as we sit down at our usual table with the others.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Tris

The final bell rings and I leave my seat along with everyone else.

"Tris! Wait up!" Four calls out from his seat beside me. I ignore him and try to disappear in the dismissal crowd before he can catch up to me. I weave through the throngs of students, muttering the occasional "excuse me" and "sorry". Finally, I barge into the girls' toilet and sit down on the floor. I breathe a sigh of relief. There's no way Four can get me now.

I check the time. My watch shows 1.32pm. I'll stay here for five minutes. Four should have left school by then. I pull out my iPhone and randomly swipe through the pages. Suddenly, I receive a text.

Four- You disappeared after the bell rang. Where are you?

I sigh. Can't he tell that I don't want to talk to him? I ignore the message and look through my phone for a while more.

{Frozen Heart}

I lift up my wrist to check the time; my watch shows 1.37pm. _Time to go_, I think to myself.

Poking my head out of the washroom, I do a quick survey of the corridor. The coast is clear. I step out of the washroom and leave school.

{Frozen Heart}

I walk along the stretch of houses until I reach my home. Stepping inside, I call out,"Mum, Dad, I'm home!"

"Hello, dear," calls Dad from the kitchen. Mum steps out of the kitchen with a baking tray in her hands. "Hello, Beatrice. How was school today?" she asks.

'Beatrice' is a name that I allow only my parents to use, even though I don't like it. Not even Caleb is allowed use it, although he still calls me that. "It was fine," I reply.

Mum sets the baking tray on he table. The aroma of cookies wafts through the house. Mum heads back into the kitchen. I grab a cookie and go up to my room to do my homework.

{Frozen Heart}

After finishing a Math worksheet, I put my pen down. I think about my conversation with Four.

_"Don't forget, you can survey house number 51 for your verification anytime."_

I only have an English exercise to complete before I'm done with my homework. I push myself up from my chair and leave the room. "Mum, I'm going out! I'll be back in a while!" I shout.

"Okay, sweetie," says Mum from the kitchen.

The door clicks shut behind me. A soft meow makes me turn around. Staring up at me with its familiar green eyes is a Shadow. Shadow is the stray black kitten that always loiters around my house. I gave him that name when I saw him in the streets in the middle of last year. From its size then, I estimated it to be about 1 year old. Sadly, Mum didn't allow me to keep Shadow as a pet. She still doesn't. To me, Shadow is the pet I keep outside my house. I bend down and stroke Shadow on the head and he purrs in content. I walk down the street to house number 51 with Shadow trailing behind. I peer at he house, wondering if some random stranger is going to pop out and scream at me.

"Tris Prior!" I hear a shout from above. I look up and see Four waving at me from a window of the house. Shadow meows as if he has known Four for forever. _Strange,_ i think to myself._ Does he know Shadow?_ I give him a quick glare, turn on my heel and walk back to my house. Shadow meows and hurriedly scampers after me. "Tris! Wait!" Four shouts urgently and his face disappears from the window. I quicken my steps, knowing that he's coming to talk to me.

Before I can reach the next house, a hand wraps around my arm. "Tris! Why didn't you wait for me?" asks Four.

I'm sick of being polite to Four. "Because I didn't want to talk to you," I state.

Something flashes through his eyes. Hurt, maybe? It was just for a split second, so fast that I'm not sure that it was even there. A wave of guilt washes over me. "Sorry," I say apologetically. Four starts smiling again.

"Nah, it's okay," he says. "I finally found a way to get you to visit me." He's smirking, and even if I'm not looking at him, I would be able to tell that he is because of the pride in his voice.

I scoff and roll my eyes. Shadow meows again. Four smiles fondly and squats down to stroke him.

"You know this cat?" I ask curiously.

"Nope," he says, popping the 'p'.

"Then why does Shadow like you so much?"

"That's his name?" He asks, sidetracking from my question. "Isn't he your cat?"

"Well, yes, Shadow's his name, and he's not my cat. So why does he like you so much?" I ask for the second time.

"God given talent," he says grinning mischievously. He sees the skeptical look I'm giving him and laughs. "Nah, I'm just good with animals, in a way."

"Just like my dad," I say, smiling. He nods. "Hey, don't you have homework to do?" he asks.

"Oh, yes!" I reply, suddenly reminded of the English exercise we were given. "Not much, though. What about you?"

"Nah, I wasn't given much homework either. It won't take me long to finish it," he says shrugging.

"How about we go back and do our work? We can talk tomorrow," I suggest.

Four laughs. "You actually don't mind talking to me tomorrow?" he asks.

I slap him on the shoulder. "C'mon, you're not that bad," I say, laughing. "See you tomorrow!" We wave goodbye as he walks down the street to his house. Shadow purrs as I scratch his head.

I enter the house to fetch him some milk. I place the milk in front of Shadow and he laps it up happily. I sigh. Maybe Four isn't that bad after all.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6Tris

_I hate problem sums!_

I groan in frustration and bury my face in my hands. All these math worksheets are absorbing the little amount of brain juice I have left. I throw down my pen and dig into my drawer. I need chocolate! Stat!

I break a piece off the bar and pop it into my mouth. Mmm... Sweet, creamy goodness.

With my last bit of sanity, I pick up my pen and work on the rest of the problem sums.

{Frozen Heart}

"Done!" I exclaim. I start keeping my worksheets in my bag. My phone beeps.

_Four- Wanna go out 4 coffee?_

I contemplate about this for a while. Is Four too annoying to go out with?

_Tris- No_

_Four- Y not? It'll b a nice chance 2 get out of the hse for some fresh air. :)_

_Ugh. Whatever._

_Tris- Fine, but only based on the fact that we're neighbours and that we should get to know each other better._

_Four- Great! I'm waiting 4 u downstairs_.

Creepy stalker! I think to myself. Since he's already downstairs, it must mean that he wasn't expecting rejection. Big headed much?

I quickly change into a black ruffled top and blue skinny jeans. I comb through my hair and leave the house, informing Mum and Dad as I close the door.

Four is standing on the sidewalk, tapping his foot. His face lights up when he sees me.

"Hey, Tris!" he says.

I smile. "So! Where are we going?" I ask, looking around.

"Well, it's your call, but I can choose if you want," he says shrugging.

I nod and gesture for him to choose. I don't really like making decisions. "How about that café a few streets away?" he asks. "The drinks there are quite good." He points in the direction of the café.

"Sounds good," I say, nodding.

He smiles and holds his hand out to me. I raise an eyebrow and look from his hand to his face and back again. We stay that way for a moment or so, me refusing to take his hand, him looking at me expectantly. He sighs and shoves his hands into his pockets. I can't help but laugh as we walk to the café.

{Frozen Heart}

I'm sitting in the café with Four, sipping my frappé. Four has a great sense of humor. We've been laughing nonstop since we got here.

"So when are you going to tell me why your nickname is Four?" I ask.

"I'll tell you one day. Maybe when you start going out with this hottie over here," he jokes, pointing to himself.

My face falls. I can't date Four. I won't. Sure, he's funny, but he's not my type.

Four sees my face and his smile turns into a worried look. "What's wrong? Did I say something?" he asks.

"I-I," I stutter. I take a deep breath. "I think you're wasting your time on me."

"What do you mean?" he asks, his face a mixture of confusion and hurt.

I instantly feel bad for saying that, but he had to know sooner or later. "I-I don't like you, Four. You're not a bad guy, but I can't visualise the two of us together," I say. "I'm sorry, Four." I don't wait for an answer before standing up and leaving the café with my drink. Before I'm out of earshot, I hear Four shout,"I don't believe I'm wasting my time on you. I'll find a way to win your heart!"

I pause by the door with my hand on the door handle. Deciding not to turn around, I push the door open and walk out, leaving Four behind.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Tris

I open the door to find a red rose sitting at the doorstep. I look at it quizzically and pick it up. Caleb peers over my shoulder curiously.

"Is my watch slow or something? Has Valentines' Day arrived already?" he jokes.

"Caleb! Stop looking and mind your own business!" I shout.

"Okay... okay," he says, cringing away and holding both hands up in surrender.

I look at the rose again. Tied to the stem with a golden string is a note.

_From the guy who is not wasting his time on you._

I can imagine the smirk he was wearing when he wrote this note. The thought makes me smirk myself.

"Not wasting his time on you? Who on earth sent this?" asks Caleb. I look behind me to find Caleb peering over my shoulder again.

"Caleb Prior! Just keep to yourself, can you?"

I head for the door to put the rose in a glass of water. Before opening the door, I turn around. "Anyway, why aren't you in school early? Don't you want to hang out with your friends?" I ask.

"Just keep to yourself, can you?" he imitates me in a high-pitched voice.

I roll my eyes and scoff._ I do not sound like that!_

I take a glass from the rack in the kitchen and fill the bottom with water. Delicately, I place the rose in the glass. I run up the stairs, my feet making soft thudding sounds on the steps. With my free hand, I swing open the door to my room and place the glass on the table.

{Frozen Heart}

We walk to school in silence. I'm half expecting Four to pop out from the middle of nowhere like most days. He doesn't, and I don't know if I should be mad, or glad. Maybe he's still angry about what I said yesterday. He wouldn't have been smirking while writing that note, then. I dump some books in my locker and check my watch. Class will be starting soon, and there's no sign of Christina. I decide to head to class on my own.

I sit down at a seat in the corner and wait for Christina. Chemistry is a class that we're having doer the first time this week, so it'll be the first time we meet our teacher. I take out my sketchbook an start making random doodles.

"Hey, Tris," whispers a soft voice and a breath tickles my ear. I whip my head around to find Four's face centimetres away from my own. I immediately look down and try hard not to blush. Four draws his head back and chuckles.

"Hey! Why are you sitting here?" I ask indignantly, crossing my arms over my chest. "This is Christina's seat!"

Four laughs again. Before he can reply, Christina walks into the room. Her steps turn into stomps as she eyes me, then Four sitting next to me. "Tris!" she exclaims like a drama queen, throwing her hands up in the air. "You're actually giving my seat to him?" she asks, pointing an accusing finger at Four.

I open my mouth to defend myself, but Four cuts in before I can speak. "Just find another seat," he says, winking mischievously at me. I scoff and roll my eyes. "I did _not_ give him your seat."

Christina ignores me. I know she heard me, though. A devilish smile crosses her face. "Since you're already here, you might as well spend the lesson trying to get yourself a girlfriend," she says grinning.

My jaw drops and I stare at her in disbelief. How can she do this to me? I stare after her with desperate, pleading eyes. She just waves her index finger at me and grins, walking over to Marlene and sitting next to her. I pout and sigh. I'm resigned to my fate.

Our History teacher walks into the room. I hear soft laughter towards my left. Uriah and Zeke are the ones making noise. The teacher looks at them warily and clears her throat. Starting her introduction, she says, "Good morning, class. I am Mrs Pedrad, your History teacher for the year.

_Uriah Pedrad. Zeke Pedrad._

The whole class turns towards the twins. They grin mischievously and laugh harder. Mrs Pedrad gives them an angry "I told you not to do this in school" look.

These three are obviously related


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Tris

"Okay!" shouts Christina as she slams her tray down on the table. A large amount of juice flies out of her cup. I hover behind Chris, thankful that I wasn't attacked by flying juice. Uriah isn't as lucky, though. Chris puts on her best demanding look and asks, "What's the relationship between you guys and Mrs Pedrad?"

Uriah smiles wickedly and picks up a piece of tissue. "Oh, you know," he says with a shrug, examining the juice on his sleeve. "She's Zeke's wife, so she has his surname."

I hear an incredulous "What?!" from the next table. Seated there with astonished looks on their faces are Zeke, Shauna, Lauren and Four. Zeke comes over, seething with rage and gives Uriah a hard smack in the arm.

"Ow! Okay okay!" Uriah exclaims. He grimaces in pain and laughs. "She's our mum!"

I blink, taken aback by surprise. If I was standing right now, my jaw would be touching the floor. So the parent who's been allowing parties at her house almost every weekend is a teacher?

_Our_ teacher?

Uriah doubles over in laughter, clutching his stomach. Pointing at the trio's stunned faces he asks, "You guys actually believed that? How in the world could someone so old be Zeke's wife?"

Zeke smirks and walks back to his seat. Christina sets her plate down on the table and sits in front of Uriah, shifting to her right to make space for me. On my left, Four winks at me scarily.

Rolling my eyes when he winks has become a routine.

"But why," Christina asks as she chews thoughtfully,"would the school let your mum teach you?" She swallows before continuing. "That doesn't usually happen, does it?"Uriah just shrugs and takes a bite of his sandwich. I fiddle with my drinking straw, uncomfortably aware of Four's eyes shifting around, observing my every move.

"Oh!" Uriah exclaims, placing his sandwich on the table. "Before I forget..." His voice trails off as he steps onto the bench and uses it as a step to get on to the table. We stare up at him as he towers over us. After getting a few bemused looks from others who have noticed, he clears his throat. Ignoring them, he booms, "Ladies and gentlemen!"

The noise in the room dies down slightly before slowly petering out. He's got everyone's attention now. Clearing his throat, he speaks, "Party at my house, Saturday night! All are welcome!" The canteen erupts in cheers and Uriah gives a clumsy bow and waves like a queen. He flashes his super-model smile and giggles. The nine of us crack up and double over in laughter.

Suddenly, the colour leaves Uriah's face and he gets down - more like scrambles down - from the table. All of us follow his gaze and spot Mrs Pedrad striding towards us. I swear I can see smoke coming out of her ears.

Uriah sits down and immediately plasters an innocent look to his face. Mrs Pedrad drags him from the safety of his chair and grabs him by the ear. Uriah yelps in pain and we hear Mrs Pedrad begin her long lecture as they disappear through the door.

{Frozen Heart}

"Tris!" yells Christina as she comes barreling towards me. Her hair flies out from behind her as she sprints down the corridor. With a sharp blow, she bangs straight into me. We fall to the ground, lying in a pathetic heap. The impact of the fall leaves me winded and I gasp for air.

"Oops! Sorry!" squeaks Christina as she gets up and starts to smoothen her hair. I brush off a few bits of dust from here and there and bend down to grab my bag. I sling it over my shoulder and look at Christina. "So, what's the big event?"

Christina squeals and her eyes light up. "We're going to get new dresses for Uriah's party!"

I give her a forced smile. "Y'know what?" I ask. "I think I'll just head home, and look through my closet, find a dress that you bought me last week..." I start to walk off but Christina grabs me by the arm.

"You are_ not_ going anywhere!" she grabs my arm and drags me out through the school gate.

"Christina! Ow! Let go! It hurts!" I struggle to free my arm, but her iron grip holds it firmly in place.

I whine the whole way to the shopping mall about how ridiculous it is to get yet another dress when I get one almost every other week. "C'mon, little girl! Stop complaining." she says, pinching my cheek. "It'll be over in no time!" I groan, her nails digging into my skin.

The cool air hits me the minute we step into the mall. Christina squeals and drags me over to the first clothes store she sees.

"Christina! Let go of me!" I shout while trying to get my arm out of her grasp.

She finally obliges and lets go. Taking advantage of her enthusiasm in getting to the store, I swiftly turn on my heel and sprint out of the mall. The glass doors slide open and I gratefully charge through them. I reach a wall outside and lean against it, breathing a sigh of relief. My eyes skim over the cars that travel along the main road. Shaking my arm out, I notice some red marks from where Christina grabbed my arm. I gently blow at them and rub my arm to soothe the pain. Checking my watch, I get up and start my walk home.

Better get back before Christina finds me.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Tris

I manage to reach home without getting caught by Christina. Miraculously, my ear is still attached to my head. You wouldn't want to receive a call from Chris when she's mad - it isn't pretty, not one single bit. I gently put my bag down on the floor of my room. Grabbing my iPod and earphones, I jog out of the room and climb the stairs to the top floor of my home - the attic. Grabbing the sides of the ladder in the attic, I slowly begin my ascend, alternating my legs rung after rung. I reach the ceiling just below the roof and reach upwards. My hand finds a small trapdoor, and I nimbly undo the lock. With no more than a gentle push, the door swings open. I hear a thud as the door reaches its maximum swing and gentle evening sunlight streams through the hole in the ceiling.

I climb the rest of the way up and pull myself onto the roof. Sitting down on the ceramic tiles that lay the roof of my home, I stretch my legs out in front of me and cross them before shoving the earbuds into my ears. The cars on the road before me zoom past one after another, each one a different colour, a different style, a different model, a different owner. I think about how much that represents how different each of us are in personality and taste.

Contrary to popular belief, we are all unique.

I chew on that thought and take a deep breath in. A soft thump on my left catches my attention. I whip my head around and a few blond strands get caught in my face and enter my mouth. I push the hair out of my eyes and my eyesight clears up. I see the back view a teenage boy with short brown hair closing the trapdoor of his roof. My eyes widen in shock as I realise who he is.

_Four._

_Oh shucks._

I quickly try to scramble up but, unfortunately, end up tripping over a tile and falling hard onto my hands. Four looks over at me and smirks slightly. "Havin' a little trouble there, sweetheart?" he asks. He shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans and saunters across his roof.

"Ah crap!" he yells as his foot gets caught behind a roof tile. I laugh, slightly horrified as he picks up the tile which has now fallen off. The smirk on his face is gone by now and his features display a moody scowl. He places the tile back and once again tries to gracefully saunter across our neighbours' roofs. Trying to act as if nothing happened, huh? Not gonna work.

"Hi." He sits down cross-legged beside me and smiles.

"Hey," I greet. To rub it in his face I add, "I saw you fall just now. Did you do that on purpose?"

He scowls and ignores my remark. "So, what are you doing up here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," I say. I turn back to the view before me and a single red car passes us by.

"Well," says Four, "I just found out about this place yesterday. Decided to come up here often since then."

"No wonder I never saw you around, then," I say nodding. I pull out my earbuds before I continue, "I come here pretty often too."

The evening light dims and the street lamps around us flicker on. The rooftop is bathed in a soft orange glow.

"You didn't realise that walking across our neighbours' roofs is considered trespassing of private property, did you?" I ask him. "In fact, I didn't allow you to sit here, so that's trespassing too."

Four shrugs and makes a face. "I wanted to talk to you, so I guess spending a few years in jail or whatever the sentence is is worth it."

I shake my head incredulously. This boy is a hopeless case.

"I...I should really get going." I say. "My parents will be calling me for dinner soon." I stand shakily and wobble slightly.

"Careful!" Four shouts, sounding almost desperate. He catches my arm and holds onto it tightly, as if I will fall and plummet to my death if he lets go. His eyes flicker up to mine and he releases his grip.

"So… I'll see you next time, then," says Four as he gets up to leave.

"Um...yeah. See you in school tomorrow." The situation is getting strangely awkward, so I give him an unsure smile and wave before opening the trapdoor and getting on the ladder. I watch Four trespass the two roofs between our houses before I bolt the door shut above me and climb down the ladder.

{Frozen Heart}

Saturday evening, the night of the party. I'm wearing a white T-shirt with blue skinny jeans, much to Christina's annoyance. Christina's car pulls up in front of my house. She rolls down the window and shoots me a glare before gesturing for me to get the heck into the car. I pull the door shut behind me and Sulky Christina drives off.

We spend the next minute in an awkward silence.

"I'm sorry, Chris. I'm not a big fan of dresses," I say apologetically.

"And…?" she prompts.

"I'm sorry for running away from our shopping trip."

"And…?" she asks, the ghost of a smile playing on her lips.

I take a deep breath in. "And I promise to be your Barbie doll for a week."

Christina groans. "I wanted you to say a month!" I shrug. I am _not _going to let her torture me for a month. "A week is all you get."

"Oh, nevermind. I'll just make do with a week," she says with dismissive a wave of her hand.

Christina turns up the radio with one hand and the car swerves dramatically to the right. I grip onto the car seat so hard that my knuckles turn white as the car swerves back on track. I hear a car horn and Christina squeaks a "sorry" to no one in particular.

"WOOOOOHOOOOO! OH YEAHHHHHH!" Christina hollers along to the songs blasting from the car speakers and the car makes another jerk to the side.

"Christina! Watch where you're going!" I warn and grit my teeth. "And your voice is terrible!"

"I'm just concealing my talents!" she states with a wink.

By the time we get to Uriah's house, my face has turned pale and my knees shake as I get out of the car. I almost collapse onto the sidewalk and I stumble my way to Uriah's front door with Christina's help. The door bursts open to reveal Uriah's charming smile which is quickly replaced by Zeke's.

"C'mon inside, ladies! The party has just started!" We follow Zeke through the living room with Uriah trailing behind. The place isn't too packed, considering the fact that it's still early and many guests haven't arrived yet. I walk past teens who are already almost drunk, their words slurred and breaths reeking of alcohol.I walk past girls dancing wildly, clearly on a sugar high. We reach the kitchen counter and I see Four drinking from a plastic cup - punch, probably. The last time I saw him here, he was drinking punch. Lauren and Shauna are there too, but they're drinking alcohol.

"Tris!" exclaims Four. He waves and I smile and walk over. Before I can say anything, though, Uriah's cuts in.

"We should play a game!" he says. "Any suggestions?"

I look around the room and a bad feeling settles in my stomach. I sense trouble, but yet out of nowhere, a flutter of excitement takes over.

"I say we don't play a game," says Four. He clasps his hands together in front of him. "We should do something more exciting." A mischievous look fills his eyes and in them I see a glimmer of excitement. I hold my breath as he says his next sentence.

"We are going to scale the Eiffel Tower."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Tris

Apparently Four's idea isn't as dangerous as I thought it would be. It isn't actually dangerous in my opinion and of course, it doesn't involve us travelling to Paris. Uriah got some guy named Gabe to watch the house for him and I get the feeling he isn't going to do a very good job. We brought about five beach balls into the cars and decided to carpool to get to our unknown destination. After my last horrible car ride experience, I refused to get into Christina's car. I ended up riding with none other than...Four. Along with Uriah, Zeke and Lauren. Good luck to Will, Shauna and Marlene in Christina's car, then. We get off at a large open area full of grass - a field, like Four mentioned. I look around and notice that there is more to this place than grass. There are a few buildings here and there, pathways, a lake and lots of trees to the left and right. There's probably lots more, but that's all I can see from here. We all turn to look at Four expectantly, waiting for him to speak.

"The rules of this game are simple-"

"I thought you said we weren't playing a game!" argues Uriah.

Ignoring him, Four continues,"I will place all five balls at the centre of this field. We will stand at our starting positions, which are the sides of the field. I will count down from sixty, and when I reach 'one', the game starts. You can choose to go anywhere within the boundaries which are enclosed by a fence," explains Four.

"What are the balls for, then?" asks Christina, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, that," says Four, "This is where it gets interesting. When the game starts, you can run for the balls. If you throw a ball at someone and that person gets hit, he or she is out. Obviously those who get balls are at an advantage. Oh, and if you don't get a ball at the start of the game, you can only take someone else's ball if it has touched the ground."

There are nine of us and only five balls. The chances of getting a ball aren't very high.

"Sounds good," says Zeke.

Four assigns us to our starting positions. Mine is in front of a large stage. What the stage is for, I don't know. Probably some community events. I stand between Zeke and Uriah. Eyeing the balls in the centre of the field, Uriah smirks. "Get ready to go down, Tris."

I scoff. "I don't go down without a fight, you know."

"Sixty!" Four's clear voice rings out in the empty area.

"Fifty-nine!"

"Fifty-eight!"

I turn to face the centre of the field and bounce on my toes, ready to sprint.

"Thirty!"

"Twenty-nine!"

"Twenty-eight!"

I wait, getting slightly impatient.

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

I bounce off my toes and sprint forward, keeping my eyes on the balls. If I don't get one, I'm screwed. Game over for sure. The distance between me and the balls gets smaller and smaller. I see a figure in front of me. _Christina_. I sweep a ball from under her hands and propel myself away from the crowd. The grass feels slippery under my feet, but I ignore it. I hear something flying behind me and duck to the left as a ball whizzes past my shoulder.

Uriah comes towards me and aims a ball at my head. I immediately react by thrusting my ball at his stomach. It hits him there, dead center.

"Told you I wouldn't go down so easily," I say.

I go to get my ball and continue running. I spy some buildings towards my right and head straight for them. When I'm finally out of sight, I lean against a wall and sink down. Gasping for breath, I clutch my stomach with one hand and my ball in the other. After a minute or two, I stand up and creep towards the field. I can see that some people have already been eliminated and are sitting on the stage.

"Tris."

I hear a voice from behind me and quickly jump up in surprise. I hold my ball up in defense, ready to shoot.

"Woah, woah, woah. Easy there. I want to be allies," says Four, holding both hands up in surrender. In his right hand is a neon green ball.

I lower my red one and raise my eyebrows at him. "And why should I accept this offer?" I ask.

"Well, I must say that my aim is fairly good, and I'm pretty fast too. That's how I got this," he says and lifts up his ball. "Besides, I've been here before. I know the area much better than anyone else."

I roll my eyes. "Big-headed, much," I mutter under my breath.

"And I saw you throwing just now. You're aim is really good. And you're fast. Together we'll be invincible!" Four smiles wickedly.

I can't help but laugh. "Fine, then. Show me what you've got."

I follow Four's line of sight and see a tyre swing hanging from a large tree. Before I can say that there's no way he's going to be able to get the ball through the hole, Four swings his arm forward and releases the ball. It flies through the hole and lands on the other side. My jaw drops. He really has perfect aim.

"We're allies," I say. He shakes my hand formally and laughs.

I hear footsteps approaching. "Quick, someone's coming. Lets go!" Four grabs my arm and we run past the swing and over a short pathway. We sprint, trying to keep our footsteps as light as possible. When we reach a garden, he pulls me through the gates. The strong scent of flowers fills my nose and a smile forces its way onto my face.

I feel like laughing, the adrenaline pumping through my veins, pushing me forward. Our feet thud the ground in a synchronised, steady rhythm. My heart pounds along with my footsteps as the wind whips my face. We pass by plants with flowers in full bloom, giant trees so big you can barely see the top. The colours rush by me in a blur as we pick up speed.

We finally slow down when we reach a stone staircase. For some strange reason, I don't feel worn out or tired. I'm breathless, but in a different, better way. As if someone has breathed new air into my lungs.

"Here," Four hands me something, a pink flower in full bloom, its petals perfectly arranged. "I caught it while it was falling from a tree." He looks at me almost shyly and smiles.

I admire the flower and stroke the petals, smiling. "Thanks, Four. It's beautiful," I say and tuck the flower into my hair tie. Four smiles again. "Glad you like it. It looks pretty on you."

We climb the stairs which lead to a raised open area. "There isn't very good cover here," I comment.

"Yeah, we should head somewhere else. Lets go," he says. We head down the steps on the other side of the open area and stay hidden behind a row of trees. Flitting through the shadows silently, I look out at the field. I hear shouts and see Shauna heading over to the stage, defeated. Lauren laughs and heads away. She's not under cover - a bad idea, really.

"Let's take her down," grins Four.

We follow her silently for a while, trying to stay unnoticed. I notice Four giving me a confused look. "She's gone," he says. And it's true. Lauren has disappeared from our sight. Four exits the safety of the trees and looks for Lauren. I follow him as closely as possible while trying to stay in the shadows.

Suddenly, Lauren jumps out in front of Four. The two of them hold their balls up and circle each other. I smirk.

Time to make use of our allying benefits.

"Hey, Lauren," I say and hurl my ball into her back.

"Augh!" screams Lauren. "Did you have to do that?" I hear catcalls and whoops coming from the stage. "Go, Tris!" shouts Shauna.

I laugh and so does Four. "Of course. Otherwise this game would never end."

Lauren throws her ball down in defeat and storms off to the stage. We don't really need her ball, so we leave it lying on the ground.

"So now there's just Christina, Zeke and...well, it's just the two of us left," I say, counting off the players with my fingers.

"Let's go get them," says Four. Somehow in the last few minutes, our strategy has evolved from staying on the defense to being on the attack. We move swiftly back through the trees and round the back of the stage. We reach the lake I saw earlier at the start of the game. Four stops for a moment and dips his hand into the water. I follow suit and swirl my fingers around in the surprisingly clear water. Four cups some water in his hands and tries to catch a fish in them. He manages to get a small red guppy swimming around in his hands.

"Just leave the fishes alone, will you?" I say and whack him in the shoulder. He smiles and lowers the fish back into the lake. The lake is actually quite vast. It spreads from the two nearby buildings and goes round the back of the stage. From here it seems like a never-ending amount of water.

We continue to move, going behind the buildings to see if Christina or Zeke could be hiding in the shadows cast by them. No luck.

"If the two of them aren't allies yet and they've seen us together, they should know we can take them down easily. The best strategy for them is to hide. Maybe we should check the buildings for them," I suggest.

"Hmmm," says Four thoughtfully. "Not only are you fast and have good aim, you're actually pretty smart too. I was right to choose you as an ally."

We try the first door. It's locked. We can't find any other way in, so we move on to the next one. The glass door is already open, so we cautiously step inside and peer into the darkness. By some sort of unspoken agreement, Four starts searching the ground floor from the left while I start from the right.

I look behind a table, the kind you'd find in a lobby, and find Christina sitting there. I drop my ball on her head. "Ha! Got you!"

Christina makes a face. "I can't believe you allied with Lover Boy," she says, gesturing to Four who was now walking over slowly and applauding me for taking Christina out. "People might think you actually like him back."

"What? He's got _good aim!_ I don't have to like someone to make him my ally!" I cross my arms over my chest.

"Fine! Suit yourself, Lover Girl," she says and stomps off with a dramatic hair flip.

"Where's Zeke?" shouts Four.

"Not telling!" she yells back.

We watch Christina go until she's out of sight.

"Well Zeke's definitely in hiding," I say. We leave the building and break into a run. "We should really split up now. It'll be easier to find Zeke. We can even break off the alliance now if you like," I say between breaths.

"Fine," says Four. "Let's break it off. If I see you around later, I won't cut you any slack," he says smirking.

I run off in the opposite direction without saying goodbye.

{Frozen Heart}

"Long time no see," says Four with a sly smile. He raises his ball and aims it at me. I raise mine as well and take my stance, knees bent, arms held out in front of me. I watch him closely as he circles me, our feet moving swiftly, one crossing over the other. I'm quite sure I can't beat Four - his aim is flawless, his stance is perfect. Perfectly poised for attack and perfectly positioned for defence. My best shot is at running. But I want to get this over with.

He throws, I duck. But of course his flawless aim expected that. The ball hits me in the arm, aimed perfectly to hit me no matter which way I went.

"Defeated!" I sigh and laugh. Four laughs too and we head back to the stage.

"Victor!" he shouts as we approach the others.

"He got you too!" gasps Zeke. "I was hoping you could get revenge!"

I laugh for the hundredth time that day. "Let's head back. It's been a great day."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Tris

I look at the boy sitting next to me on the roof. Shadow purrs and wriggles his way under my arm and onto my lap. Four scratches him behind the ear and he nuzzles into his hand.

"How's my favourite little black cat doing?" asks Four, looking at Shadow fondly. Shadow purrs in response, rolling around in my lap. I laugh, stroking Shadow's silky body with my hand.

"He's been doing great! Doesn't seem to be getting dirty as often. He seems to be eating more too," I say.

"He's growing," replies Four. "About a year and a half old, I assume?"

I nod. I look back at Four again. His short brown hair glistens in the sunlight. I don't really know how I feel about him. I don't like him, definitely, but sometime within the last two weeks, this annoying boy became my friend. Two weeks ago, this boy impressed me with his shooting skills. Two weeks ago, this boy won a game he now calls "Throw Ball or Get Hit By Ball". A strange name, really, but I wouldn't know what to call it either. It's another example of how he would get on my nerves in the past, but now it just makes him...well, it makes him lovably him.

"I still like you, you know," he says, not looking at me but keeping his eyes on Shadow. "I don't show it, but I still do."

_Wow, that's very direct of him._

"And I'm still waiting," he says, finally flicking his eyes up to meet mine.

I sigh and look away. "Don't." I pause for a moment, thinking. "You're wasting your time on me."

"No."

"I'm still waiting," I say and look back at him. His dreamy blue eyes get locked onto mine. They're unmoving, unwavering. "For you to give up. Let go."

"I can't, Tris," he says, shaking his head. "Not after waiting to tell you for half a year. I can't stop liking you and I won't give up on you." His blue eyes are pleading with me. Pleading with me not to stop him.

"Fine, but you're wasting your time," I say. He nods. Doesn't believe me, obviously. "But for now, we're friends."

"Fine by me." He smiles.

It's strange, how we've both got opposites to prove to each other.

{Frozen Heart}

Wake up, brush teeth, eat breakfast, leave the house. That pretty much sums up my uneventful morning. Any time soon, according to the usual routine, Four is going to pop out of nowhere and join me on my walk to school. Shadow is still sleeping in a carton box beside my house, so I leave him there and quietly walk away.

Four still hasn't shown up after five minutes. I'm starting to wonder what's going on. Must have given up on me already. How fickle boys are. The school gate comes into view. I turn round the bend and walk in through the gate.

My steps falter slightly and I almost trip over my shoes. _Pink. Lots of pink. _Yup, I see lots of pink. Well not a lot, really, but more than usual. Pink presents, hearts, cards… I check my watch. It's Valentine's Day. Groaning, I stomp for class. Pink has never been my colour.

{Frozen Heart}

"Now, class. Please turn to page 53 of your textbooks."

The flipping of pages can be heard as every student whips out their textbook. Mine falls open at page 46.

A note.

_I know you hate Science, but I hope you'll love me._

My lips part slightly. _What?_ The note is anonymous, but I can tell who wrote it. Someone must know I hate pink, because the note's blue. Despite myself, I smile. Four can be so cheesy at times. I take out my pencil case and dig for my favourite pen.

Another note. This time wrapped around my pen. Purple.

_Ha! I knew you'd choose this pen. Choose me too?_

My grin widens. Cheese puff. I should start calling him that.

In my file is another note. Red.

_I'm falling for you…_

After Science, I walk into History to find another note on my table. Yellow.

_You're my ray of sunshine._

From the corner of my eye I see Four doing his work. He's not looking at me, but I catch him smiling to himself. I find notes in my textbook, worksheet, notebook, laptop bag and in my laptop itself. "Oh my gosh…" I whisper to myself as the teacher walks past and my notes fall onto the floor.

Four goes around the classroom giving out worksheets. As he approaches me, he hands me one and gives me a scary wink. Attached to it is another note.

Turquoise.

_Be mine._

{Frozen Heart}

At lunch time I walk over to our usual table.

Christina waves a plastic bag in my face. "It just appeared out of nowhere. It's got your name on it. We don't know where it came from, though."

"I think we can _guess _where it came from." Uriah smirks. I roll my eyes as Four walks past, winking. I open the bag. Inside is a scattering of notes, all colours of the rainbow and a bunch of candy.

Gold.

_I love you._


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Tris

I lug my school bag up to my front door. On the door handle is another note. I look around. Where's Four? Shadow emerges from the shadows - what a nice pun! - when he sees me and purrs loudly. He grins an adorable toothy grin and stares at the note before looking back at me again.

"You know he came by, don't you?" I ask as I bend down to scratch his head. He lies flat on his belly and rolls about on the floor. I hear footsteps down the street. Shadow is quicker to look up than I am and I know who's coming when Shadow jumps up and scampers towards the source of the sound. Mr Cheese Puff.

"Hey, Tris," he says as he bends down to stroke Shadow. I wave the note in his face.

"Cheese Puff," I greet.

He makes a face and rolls his eyes. "I made an effort!"

"I don't like you!" I say, exasperated.

"Yes, and that's why I wrote those messages on the notes or they would have been cheesier."

"I know. But I meant that you were wasting your time." I hold the note up and stare at it.

"Look," he says. "I'm not wasting my time. Are you sure you didn't feel anything when you received those notes? Nothing at all?"

I press my lips together. Maybe he's right. Maybe I did feel something. Something that I'm quite sure isn't love or lust.

He raises an eyebrow and smirks. "I saw you smiling during History and lunch. Proof. You felt something."

His smirk makes me laugh a little. I know how I was feeling now - flattered. I guess that's how someone should feel when she's got an admirer.

"Race you to the roof," he says and then he's gone. And Shadow's gone with him.

{Frozen Heart}

The first thing I see when I open the trapdoor is bright green eyes - cat's eyes. Shadow sticks his head over the edge of the door frame and grins at me. Four is already sitting on my roof nearby.

"Slowcoach."

I pull myself up and sit next to him, Shadow trailing behind me. He climbs into my lap and falls asleep.

"Of course you were faster than me! You got a headstart and longer legs!"

Four shrugs and lies down on the tiles. I mimic him and the sharp tiles jab into my back.

"Oww…" I mumble as I rub my side. "How on earth do you do this without even _flinching_?"

"I don't know. I just ignore the pain."

I stare at him for a moment.

"We really have nothing to talk about here," I comment.

"Oh, there are lots of things we could talk about." He smiles at me. "Why don't we ask each other questions?"

And so there we lie for about half an hour, asking each other meaningless things while his fingers find their way to my hair and play with it.

{Frozen Heart}

I shut my locker and turn to head off for class. The hallway is crowded and a boy bangs right into me.

"I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" I gasp as I look the boy up and down.

"Watch it, Stiff," he growls. He inches his face closer and closer to mine. I stumble backwards and almost trip on my shoe. His dark eyes glint menacingly and I smell his breath. With one swift motion he shoves me up against the lockers and jams his arm into my throat. I cough helplessly as his arm presses further and further. For a moment, I'm sure I'm going to die.

"You little _stiff_." He bares his teeth. "If you ever dare _touch_ me again, I swear I will not let you off, you puny little…"

"Coward."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Tris

"Four," I croak. Four strides up to the boy and rips him away from me. He pushes him against the lockers and I see a flash of anger burning in his eyes.

"Don't you dare touch her again, you coward," he snarls. "Or you're gonna get it from me." He knees the boy in the gut and pushes him aside with force. The boy looks back for a split second before scampering away. Four smirks in triumph and turns to me.

I cough. My throat still hurts from where the boy had a hold on me. "Umm...thanks," I say awkwardly.

"Peter Hayes, school bully and idiotic coward. Ugh, I've hated him since I first met him." Four makes a face. Then his eyes fill with concern. "I forgot to ask. Are you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?" he asks.

I shake my head. His fingers brush my cheek and he cradles my face in his hand. "Your throat's a little red. I think it'll be fine." When he pulls his hand away, the tips of his fingers trace my cheek, leaving a warm trail.

{Frozen Heart}

I can't find my pen. I can't find my textbook. My worksheets are missing. What's happening? Ever since last week my things have started going missing. Ever since...Peter's attack.

_Peter._

Could he have stolen my things? Considering the kind of person he is, it's likely that he's taken my things to get revenge.

"Something wrong?"

I turn to address the person behind me. His blue eyes are full of concern. "Kinda," I say. "My stuff are missing. Again."

He walks over. "Peter?"

I shrug. "I suppose so."

"I can help you get them back," he suggests.

I shake my head. "No, it's okay." I don't need a boy's help to get things done. I can do this on my own.

{Frozen Heart}

"Tris," calls Christina. She waves me over from her table. I force a smile and slide into the seat next to her. "I found this in the dustbin," she says. I take the piece of crumpled paper from her hand and smoothen it out on the table. At the top left hand corner is my name, and on the left is the date. My worksheet.

"Oh no." Why would anyone do this just because I _bumped _into them?

"Do you know who did this?" asks Christina.

I nod. "Peter."

Chris gasps. "Peter? Peter Hayes? What has gotten into you? Did you actually mess with _him_?"

"No. Peter messed with _her_." Four strides over to our table. "And messing with _her_ is like messing with _me_," he says.

I shoot him an accusing look. "I don't need your help," I say.

It's getting to me. My pride, my pride, my pride.

"Oh really? You don't?" he asks and raises an eyebrow. "If I hadn't helped you, what do you think would have become of you? Huh? Apparently you were defenseless against him."

I open my mouth to object, but no words come out. My mouth closes again. And then opens. Nothing. I shake my head and sigh. "Whatever."

My pride, working again.

Four smirks. "Yup. You know I'm right!" He turns round to leave.

Christina squeals. "Oh my gosh. Do you know how lucky you are to have a hottie on your side?" she asks.

I roll my eyes as Four turns back with an amused look on his face. "Did someone just call me a hottie?"

"Yes. Now scram along with your big head." I spit. He comes back to ruffle my hair before laughing and walking off.

I make a face before quickly trying to comb through my hair with my fingers. "Christina! Stop laughing!" She holds up two hands in surrender before finally calming down. Uriah and Will come over, carrying their lunches.

"What's the big fuss about?" asks Will.

"Did we miss something?" chirps Uriah.

"Nothing," I mumble. "Where's Marlene?"

Uriah pouts. "She's in the library. Said she had to catch up on some Math." He looks to the side and sighs. His eyes adopt a faraway look.

I roll my eyes. "You look like a lovesick puppy," I deadpan. The two have had crushes on each other since fifth grade and still have no guts to make a move.

"I think I saw her with someone else," says Uriah.

"What? Someone else? Who?"

"Some guy," he says and pouts again. "When I left her at the library, I thought I saw her run to this other guy and… I don't know what she did with him, but she looked really happy to see him. I had turned round the bend before I could see what they did. Didn't want to look like a stalker by turning back."

"What? No way!" exclaims Christina. "She obviously likes _you_." She shakes her head. "No way, I'm not buying it."

Uriah shrugs. "Maybe."

"Oh come on, Uriah. Cheer up! I'm sure she doesn't like that guy," says Christina and starts on a hundred reasons why Marlene wouldn't fall for another guy. I tune out and sweep my eyes across the cafeteria. They land on Four and stick there for a few moments. He looks back at me and winks. I roll my eyes and continue eating my lunch. I guess my pride gets in the way too much. I'm arrogant, that's one of my flaws, and it doesn't serve me well. Maybe allowing others to offer some help wouldn't hurt. Maybe my friends can help me deal with Peter. I know for sure that they'll be by my side till the very end, so why not start putting by putting my trust in them to good use?


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Tris

The sabotage from Peter is only getting worse. I don't know what to think of this guy. Yesterday I found a hole in my bag, about the size of my fist. Think it tore by accident? No. The hole was cut out with a pair of sharp scissors. I found the cut out fabric on my table, scribbled on with a black marker, full of insults.

"You should tell a teacher, Tris," says Christina. "Things aren't getting any better. And they aren't going to any time soon. You know that."

I shake my head. I am not weak. Having to ask a teacher for help would be blowing the matter up too big.

Chris rolls her eyes. "You can be so stubborn, you know that? I could just say "Forget it! Just deal with stuff yourself and let your things go missing." But I won't! Because you're my friend and I'm going to stick up for you no matter what."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Anyway, tell a teacher. I don't care if I have to drag you there. You're coming with me." Christina grabs me by the ear and hauls me up.

{Frozen Heart}

The teacher-pupil conference was not a party. I just sat on a hard plastic chair while Christina explained the whole sorry story to Ms Wu. Nice of her. Or maybe it's just because she knew I would keep my mouth shut no matter what.

That's what I tell Four on the roof of my house.

He cocks his head inquisitively as I finish my story. "Well. Let's put that aside first. I know I said I'd try to help you. I did. I tried confronting Peter a few times but the coward kept denying that he did anything." He smirks. "Oh and after school, I picked the lock of his locker to see if I could find anything."

I scoff. "Nice way to invade someone's privacy!"

"You're welcome," he says sarcastically. "_He_ invaded _your_ privacy anyway. Didn't see a problem in breaking into his locker."

"So did you find anything?"

"Nope."

I sigh. It's not that bad having help from others. The only problem is that they've been doing all the work and offering nice suggestions while I just sit around being waited on like a princess.

"I've got it all planned out for tomorrow. I saw his timetable in his locker and took a picture of it. Peter and I have PE at different times of the day, so...at ten in the morning I will sneak out of class and head for the locker room. Find his bag - I've been stalking him so I know it's the black one with red stripes - and dig through it. If I find anything, he's officially guilty."

My mouth drops open in shock. "Tobias Eaton! You have _not_ been stalking Peter Hayes, watching his every move, and taking pictures of his timetable, and memorising it, and planning to skip class, and planning to sneak into the locker room!"

"Well yes, I have," he says, laughing. "Wait…" His eyes hold mine. Did you just call me Tobias?"

I blink and look around, embarrassed. I stare straight into his eyes, challenging as I say, "Yes I did, _Four_."

He smiles. I narrow my eyes. "Got a problem with that?"

He laughs. "No. Not at all. In fact, I like it that way. Call me Tobias. When we're alone."

"Why?" I ask.

"Because I like you. Because I want to hear you say my name."

My face flushes red and I try to hide it. I smirk. "Why should I give you the pleasure of hearing your name from my mouth?"

He shrugs. "No reason for you to."

I cock my head to the side and look at him. "Why's your nickname Four, _Tobias_?"

"I told you, I'll tell you when you date me."

"Not. Going. To happen."

"Well then too bad."

{Frozen Heart}

When I get to class, most people are already there. "Tris, have a seat. Quickly please."

I nod and brisk walk over to the empty chair next to Christina. Opening up my bag, I take out my pencil case. My pen's gone. With a sigh, I find another pen and spin it with my fingers.

"I heard that there have been cases of bullying in this class. Is this true?" asks Ms Wu, being serious in class for the first time. My pen drops.

I hear mutters break out from around me and my face flames red.

"Bullying? I thought only kids did that!"

"What? Who?"

Ms Wu clears her throat. The class falls silent. I struggle to breathe. "Whoever has been doing this, please own up."

Silence.

Of course there's silence. Which idiot would throw himself into the fire?

"No one? Then I'll have no choice but to call names." Her eyes scan the classroom and land on a person in the corner. "Peter Hayes."

I hear even more noise now. Louder.

Four smirks and Christina smiles victoriously. I feel nothing.

Peter gives Ms Wu an accused look. "Bullying? Are you crazy? Why on earth would I bully anyone?"

I'm thoroughly amazed at this boy's smooth lying ability.

Ms Wu ignores his statement. "Peter, please come and see me after class. I need to talk to you."

Giving Ms Wu a filthy stare, Peter slams his worksheet on the table and storms out of the classroom. He doesn't look back once.

{Frozen Heart}

The bell rings, signalling that it's ten. From the corner of my eye, I watch Four slip silently round the corner. Off to the gym. I run over and tap him on the shoulder. "Four," I glance around and whisper. "I'm coming with you."

"Coming with me? Why are you helping _me_ on my mission to help _you_? Besides, we're entering the _boys'_ locker room, you know?"

I shake my head. "I don't care. I'm quite sure you can hide me as well as you can hide yourself. You know I'm fast and quiet from the game of...erm...Throw Ball or Get Hit by Ball."

He nods thoughtfully and smirks. "Alright then, eager beaver. Let's get to work."


	15. Chapter 15

**This chapter is for 46**

{Frozen Heart}

Tris

When we walk into the boys' locker room, I was weirded out by what I saw. There are Axe cans everywhere. Dirty socks cover the floor.

"What do you guys do in here?" I ask Four.

"Shush, we're going to get caught," he replies. Four walks up to what I think is Peter's gym locker. Somehow, he manages to get it open. I look inside and just see tennis shoes and a gym uniform.

I look at Four, confused.

"What the heck?" he mumbles under his breath.

"Well this was a waste of time," I say.

"Yeah, let's get out of here."

We start to walk towards the door, but I trip on an Axe can and start to fall. Four attempts to catch me, but he slips on the spray that is on the floor and I fall on top of him. I look up and notice that I'm staring into his eyes. He stares back at me with those gorgeous blue eyes. My head starts to move towards his, and then the bell suddenly rings.

I jump up and say, "Oh crap! I'm gonna be late! See ya later Four!" I run out of the locker room and see Peter standing outside the door.

"What are you doing, Stiff?" Peter says, trying to intimidate me.

"Nothing!" I say a bit too quickly and run off. When I'm running through the halls, I see Christina.

"Christina!" I call.

"WHAT?!" she calls back.

"I need to tell you something!" She walks up to me.

"What could possibly be so important?"

"I almost kissed Four..."

"WHAT!? GIRL! Tell me everything!"

"Well... I was sort of doing something with Four and then I tripped and I fell onto Four." I'm trying to keep our snooping a secret.

"Oooh! What were you doing?"

"Uh, nothing important. I just need advice, I think I like Four..."

"WHAT!? Eeek! I ship it!"

"Shut up Christina! This stays between us. Okay?"

"Fine. Are you going to tell him though?"

"I don't know. I know he still likes me, but I just don't know if I want a boyfriend. I don't want to just be used. I'm sort of scared that Four would do that and I'd end up like all the other girls that like him."

"Oh my gosh! Tris he told you that he loves you! Go for it!"

"I don't know, I'll think about it. I have to get to class even though I'm already late. See ya."

"Bye Tris!"

When I get to class all I thino about is what I'm going to do.


	16. Chapter 16

**(A/N This picks up in the locker room.)**

Chapter 16

Four

When we start heading towards the door, Tris suddenly slips and starts to fall.

This is my moment to play hero!

I run and try to catch her, but I slip on the body spray left on the floor too. I fall and Tris lands on top of me. I look at her to make sure she's okay and she looks into my eyes. Her head starts to move towards mine and I think she is going to kiss me, but the bell rings.

She jumps up and says, "Crap! I'm going to be late! See ya later Four!" She runs out of the locker room. leaving me there staring at the ceiling. I rest my head on the floor.

I was so close! Ugh! I thought she was finally reciprocating my feelings!

I sigh, pull myself off the floor, and start heading to class. As I'm walking, I Christina and Tris talking. I know it's wrong to eaves drop, but I really want to know what's happening.

"Christina!"

"WHAT?!"

"I need to tell you something!"

"What could possibly be so important?"

"I almost kissed Four..."

"WHAT!? GIRL! Tell me everything!"

"Well... I was sort of doing something with Four and then I tripped and I fell onto Four."

"Oooh! What were you doing?"

"Uh, nothing important. I just need advice, I think I like Four..."

"WHAT!? Eeek! I ship it!"

"Shut up Christina! This stays between us. Okay?"

"Fine. Are you going to tell him though?"

"I don't know. I know he still likes me, but I just don't know if I want a boyfriend. I don't want to just be used. I'm sort of scared that Four would do that and I'd end up like all the other girls that like him."

"Oh my gosh! Tris he told you that he loves you! Go for it!"

"I don't know, I'll think about it. I have to get to class even though I'm already late. See ya."

"Bye Tris!"

Tris likes LIKES ME! Yes! Wait... she thinks I'm going to use her? I'm just going to have to show her that I'm not a jerk and I actually do care about her. Now my only problem is figuring out how to do that.


End file.
